


Plans for the Future

by grandmelon



Series: A Life Worth Living [3]
Category: Free!
Genre: Domestic Fluff, M/M, One Shot Collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-01-08
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,704
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3063710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grandmelon/pseuds/grandmelon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin starts making plans for the future and Sousuke finds the ideas and hopes worming their way into his heart.</p><p>A collection of different conversations about the future between Rin and Sousuke, all set at random periods of time between their get together and graduation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Holiday Plans

**Author's Note:**

> I really wanted to write domestic conversations between the two boys where Sousuke just gets amazed about how Rin brings up things about their future so casually, as if there was no other way it would turn out. I get amazed seeing my sister's boyfriend do the same without any prompting, it's so cute. There's no way Rin wouldn't do it, he's too sure of himself to think that things wouldn't turn out alright in the end. :) 
> 
> Let me know if there are any glaring grammar or spelling errors, I was in a bit of a rush to get it done before New Year's Eve. I hope everyone enjoys!

“That was the best,” Rin smiled. The tired boy flopped down onto his bed, staring up at his ceiling. He rolled over to the side of the bed, taking his childhood shark covers with him. Another body flopped down onto the bed, curling around the other.

 

“If you say so,” Sousuke yawned. Rin glanced over his shoulder at the yawning boy.

 

“Come on, you know it was! Christmas parties are always the best,” he grinned.

 

The other just laughed and placed a tired kiss against long locks, warm and gentle fingers combing through the knotted strands. Rin made a soft embarrassed noise in the back of his throat. He had always known his friend liked his hair, but he was still getting used to a boyfriend who doted upon it. It was a bit embarrassing how much Sousuke liked to play with and brush his hair.

 

“It’s nice if you’re having fun with your friends, but Hazuki is another story,” Sousuke grumbled. The small swimmer had harassed him nonstop and he couldn’t keep up with all that endless energy. Ceaseless inappropriate questions, touches, and surprises had followed. He knew that the boy did it just to get a rise out of people, but knowing didn’t change anything.

 

“Ah, yeah, sorry. Nagisa can be a bit much.”

 

“You don’t say?” Sousuke smirked.

 

Rin huffed as he tried to turn over in his self-made cocoon with little success. Sousuke helped free him from his blanketed confinement before laying the sheets flat over top of them. Rin hooked himself against Sousuke’s side as he settled back down, pulling the covers up to their chests.

 

“Hey, your parents aren’t expecting you back for New Year’s are they?”

 

Eyebrows rose at the question before a short chuckle escaped his mouth. Rin frowned at the reaction, but waited patiently for the answer.

 

“I’ve already told them I wasn’t coming back over break,” he replied. “Why? You dragging me to more parties?”

 

Rin scoffed, jutting out his lower lip before hiding his face with his blankets. Sousuke protested as the covers were pulled up off his feet, trying desperately to kick them back down.

 

“No. Christmas is for friends and family, so that means New Year’s is going to be for just us.”

 

Sousuke finally managed to pull the blankets back down in place, a glaring Rin staring back up at him. He smiled and kissed his cheek.

 

“What a sweet boyfriend I have,” he cooed, successfully causing a bright flush on his sweet friend’s face.

 

“Shut up,” he muttered.

 

“You know, isn’t it usually the other way around?” he mused. “I mean, lovers usually spend Christmas together.”

 

“That’s just because not many people here are Christian. Mom would be upset if we made it a couples’ holiday. Anyways, when we move to Australia it’s going to be summer during Christmas, so we’d have to come back anyways. Christmas without snow is awful,” Rin grumbled, remembering a few lost Christmases during his stay in Australia.

 

“I don’t doubt it,” Sousuke laughed, knowing how much Rin detested cold but loved snow. His best friend always found the powdery white covering the earth to be magical.

 

“So New Year’s will be ours, and we can spend it together. Next year we might spend New Year’s here again, but the fireworks in Sydney are amazing. Lori and Russell took me during the years I had to stay in Australia. They’re so big, you won’t believe it!”

 

Rin’s arms had unconsciously started moving around as he told the other about the fireworks. Sousuke smiled at his boyfriend. His arm came around to pull him closer, humming in response as the other continued to ramble in excitement.

 

“If we can’t see them next year, the year after for sure we’ll make it back in time. We’ll do it even if it cuts back into visiting with everyone. Maybe we’ll do it so that every other year we spend it in Japan,” he grinned.

 

Sousuke felt his breathing stop for a second before it returned, his eyes sliding shut. It always caught him off guard, Rin’s reckless talk about a future he planned to share with him.

 

“That sounds nice,” he breathed out. Rin continued on unaware of the boy’s change in mood. Gentle kisses littered wherever Sousuke could reach without moving.

 

“Yeah, oh! That’d be good because then we could visit Lori and Russell for Christmas, too. I can’t wait for you to meet them. They’re going to love you! Well, Lori already sort of does, but still.”

 

“You told them about me?” Sousuke asked, moving his head back to get a better look at his boyfriend. Rin kept his gaze pointed away from the other, red dusting his cheeks.

 

“Well of course, you’re my best friend,” he mumbled. Sousuke chuckled breathlessly. Rin had told his homestead parents about him. For some reason it felt as though a weight had been lifted off his chest, a weight he never knew he had been carrying.

 

“Do they know?” Rin’s eyes finally met Sousuke’s, a question in them before his mouth dropped into a small o.

 

“Yeah, of course. They were actually, uh, the first to know about,” Rin made a gesture with his hands, entire body throwing off the heat of embarrassment. “Uh, liking guys, or whatever. It was awful figuring it out, let alone abroad. But Lori and Russell helped me through it. They were really nice about it, they kind of saved me. They’re actually the reason I told mom.”

 

Sousuke sat up, surprised about the seriousness of the conversation. He had never heard any of this before; in fact he wasn’t even sure what Rin liked. He knew that at the very least Rin wasn’t straight, but he had never bothered to think much further than that, as long as Rin was with him he was okay with anything.

 

“Can you imagine how awful it was? Ha ha. I mean the language barrier was tough enough,” Rin grimaced.

 

“When did you realize?” he asked, watching for signs, something to tell him that questions would not be appreciated. Rin shrugged, a natural frown in place, not meaning anything in particular.

 

“Well I kind of suspected it when I was here, I didn’t really question how I felt about you, but when I realized it I figured out that you were probably the first. Haru,” Sousuke flinched at the name.

 

“He sort of reinforced my suspicions. I was kind of obvious about it too, right? Man that’s embarrassing. Actually, and don’t you dare tell anyone,” Rin warned, knowing fully well that Sousuke would never say anything in the first place. Sousuke put up his hands in surrender.

 

“You know I’d never,” he said. Rin just shook his head a little before turning his eyes up at his childhood posters.

 

“Makoto sort of grew on me like that too, when we were little anyways. Sort of had this puppy –dog look, I don’t know. But that was all before middle school. When I went to middle school there I finally figured it out. I noticed that I found the boys better looking than the girls and then I saw this high school kid I liked from the swim club there making out with this girl and I uh,” Rin’s cheeks went ablaze eyes darting down.

 

“I kind of uh, imagined that I was her, and,” Rin flustered; embarrassed by the memories he was sharing. “After that it was like a floodgate and I came home crying and Lori asked what was wrong and the rest is, well, history.”

 

Sousuke sat in silence, taking in his childhood friend’s story. He didn’t feel angry like he thought he would, it was already clear that Rin was over all of his childhood crushes, even Nanase Haruka. It just felt a bit embarrassing, and endearing. He offered his best friend a small smile, he didn’t need to share that with Sousuke, but he did anyways.

 

“Thanks,” Sousuke said. Rin’s mouth turned down into a wobbly frown.

 

“Why are you thanking me? That’s so weird. I just, shit,” he grumbled, throwing his arms up over his face. “I don’t know why I’m telling you. It’s just that, like I always felt like I should have? I really wanted to back then, I just didn’t know what to say. I know you think I forgot all about you while I was there, but there were times when you were the only thing that kept me sane.”

 

“Rin,” he breathed. His eyes were wide in astonishment. Rin made more humiliated noises.

 

“Shit this is embarrassing, I shouldn’t have said anything,” he whined.

 

“I don’t know if I actually like guys,” Sousuke began, wanting to comfort his friend without making him more embarrassed. “I’ve never been attracted to guys before. I’ve never seen girls that way either though. It’s only been you, and I realized it pretty young. About the time you had that crush on Nanase.”

 

Rin peaked up at Sousuke, still keeping the majority of his face out of view. Sousuke gave a lopsided smile.

 

“It really bothered me, but I knew why you did everything. I think knowing made it worse. It wasn’t like I could stop you, knowing how you felt. About swimming and about him. I let it go and tried to brush it off, but I knew it was real.”

 

“Sorry,” Rin mumbled, arms falling away, uncovering his guilty frown. Sousuke gave him a hard look and Rin bit his lip, holding back any other words. Sousuke didn’t want Rin to feel bad about it.

 

“You know, there was a girl in middle school I kind of liked. I didn’t like her at first, but the more I got to know her the more I liked her. She reminded me a lot of you, actually. Steadfast, only focused on swimming. But she wasn’t a romantic, that’s for sure,” Sousuke laughed at a memory of long ago. Rin wondered what was running through his head.

 

“Did you date her?” Rin whispered. Sousuke shook his head.

 

“No, never asked to either. We both had goals that were more important, besides romance was never big on my list. You know despite liking her it was never a doubt in my mind I liked you more. She was sort of like an island,” he said pulling his hands together. Sousuke hummed, thinking back on his time at middle school.

 

“Seeing her working so hard made me remember how hard you were working, and it made me want to push further. It helped, a lot, when the letters stopped coming.”

 

Rin made to apologize again but a large hand was already covering his mouth. Sousuke bent over and kissed his forehead.

 

“You don’t need to apologize for anything, so stop. It bothers me when you do.”

 

Rin grunted before licking Sousuke’s palm. Sousuke flinched away from the unwanted touch and Rin sat up, bumping shoulders with the other.

 

“Doesn’t change the fact that I am,” he reminded him.

 

Sousuke frowned deeply and they shared a kiss, opting out of further discussion on the matter. Rin pulled them back down into the bed, propping himself up on the larger boy. He peppered apologetic kisses all over the other’s face. Sousuke relented, enjoying their soft warmth.

 

“How did we even end up on such a heavy topic, we were talking about New Year’s!” Rin complained, continuing his worship of the other’s cheeks and chin. Sousuke felt himself falling asleep under the relentless touches.

 

“Mm, don’t now, but I’m glad we did,” Sousuke opened his eyes and leaned into a kiss. “I want to know about the Rin I wasn’t there to see.”

 

Rin sputtered about how embarrassing the other boy was before rolling over onto his side and getting comfortable. He reached above him and turned off the lamplight. In the dark he promised the other he’d tell more, on the condition that Sousuke would share too. Promises of an amazing New Year’s celebration for just the two of them and new holiday traditions filled the late night air. Sousuke couldn’t help but to feel amazed by Rin, warmed by Rin. He always felt so safe and comfortable in Rin’s presence. For once Sousuke felt like he didn’t want another year to end. He would be happy enough if they could just continue like that forever.


	2. Apartments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Sousuke talking about school, Australia, and future living arrangements. 
> 
> Sousuke doesn't actually hate the English language as much as his complaining implies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one-shot! I liked writing this piece just as I like writing all of these pieces. It was a bit difficult understanding the school year or where Rin would go after high school besides "Sydney, Australia" so I just took a generic route and did some very basic investigations on the University of Sydney's school year compared to the Japanese's school year, traveling visas, etc. 
> 
> This really, like all my fics, is just self-indulgent writing so I'm going to try and look passed the problems and inconsistencies with real life I'm Sure are there. It's almost more frustrating when you're the writer lol.
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Apartments

 

If Sousuke at any point thought that not being on the swim team would make it easier to study, saying he was mistaken sounded like the understatement of the century. Getting into his physical rehabilitation’s routine was easy enough, having been through it before. Even the frequent trips to the therapist and doctor weren’t that hard. No, if anything was hard, it was paying attention during lessons.

 

Sousuke was a natural when it came to school, not that he had a photographic memory, but his memory was good and he rarely had to put in an extensive amount of time studying. He wasn’t the top of his class, but he was virtually there. He was up in the rankings near Rin, who somehow always managed to find time to study between swimming, being a captain, and hanging out with his friends from Iwatobi. Rin was a well-oiled machine who worked on a regularly irregular schedule.

 

More often than not Sousuke found his mind slipping to other thoughts during class. Thoughts of his best friend, the pain in his shoulder, the uncertain future, and sometimes when it was particularly bad, thoughts of the English language. Rin had him practicing English every day since he decided that Sousuke was somehow going to come with him to Australia. He even had days were Rin refused to listen or speak to him unless he was using English. It was embarrassing and frustrating. Sousuke was never good with the language, and he felt terribly conscious about how he sounded. If it was just reading and writing, or even just listening, he could manage, but speaking? That was out of the question.

 

He couldn’t deny that his English score skyrocketed after the first three weeks of Rin’s intensive training. His teacher even praised him for the rise in his scores. He didn’t have the heart to explain that it wasn’t his own work that got him there, but Rin’s. Rin was drilling him every day and Sousuke could at least admit that he was no longer at a toddler’s vocabulary, more like an elementary school student’s. His accent was still awful and he didn’t need to be Australian to know it. He could hear it in his own ears, and his L’s and R’s were still a mess.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

Sousuke looked at Rin, who was drying his hair carelessly. Rin had run off to the showers after Momo had slammed into him with a giant tub of pond water for god knows what. His boyfriend was cursing under his breath the entire way back to the dorms after lecturing the young Mikoshiba for a good half hour. Sousuke opted out of going with him, having showered earlier and not looking forward to taking another when he had just put on the salve for his shoulder.

 

“Thinking,” he supplied.

 

He yawned and stretched his arms above his head, gentle with his injured shoulder. Yawning usually got him in painful situations, but as the weeks passed their frequency wasn’t so high. Despite his rehabilitation coming to an end soon, he was still very careful not to over extend his arm while stretching. His long-haired captain sat down on the bed, a comb in hand. He turned his gaze towards the door, but the pink on his ears gave away his intentions. Sousuke grinned before sitting up and stealing the brush out of his loose grip.

 

“You know, all you have to do is ask,” Sousuke smiled. He pulled the towel off Rin’s head and wrapped it around his shoulder’s to catch the stray drops of water before they soaked his shirt.

 

“Ask what?” Rin bit out. He refused to admit that he was getting too used to Sousuke’s care.

 

“Nothing,” he hummed, starting to brush through his damp locks.

 

Sousuke started at the bottom, slowly making his way up. Whenever there was a particularly difficult knot to untangle he’d clamp the hair above it in a firm grip and gently pull it apart with the comb’s bristles. He was always careful not to cause unnecessary pain to his friend.

 

“So, I was talking to some coaches,” Rin started.

 

Sousuke didn’t even pause as he continued to comb through the soft, cooling hair. It only ever felt silky when it was wet, but Sousuke didn’t mind its gentle wiry texture either. He watched his best friend physically relax as he continued to massage his scalp with the brush, continuing to comb through even after all the knots were gone.

 

“I can’t really enroll for this year, since it already started, but a few of the coaches who want to train me work for the University of Sydney. I sent in my application anyways and I’ve already been accepted, but because I need to graduate I asked about starting next year. The head coach and administrators said it’d be no problem as long as I continue as I am now,” he finished. Sousuke hummed in response, putting the comb down before starting to braid small strands of Rin’s hair for his own amusement. Rin didn’t even take notice of the change.

 

“So you’ll be a student next year?”

 

“Yeah, but they want me to come over after graduation for a few weeks of training with the swim club. To make sure I’m worth it, or whatever,” he leaned back against the other boy. Sousuke dropped his hands from Rin’s hair and wrapped his arms around the other.

 

“You’ll kick ass,” he assured.

 

“Yeah, I know,” he chuckled. Rin frowned thinking about other things. “You can’t come with me yet. Well, you can, but I don’t really want you to. If you go with me right away then it’ll be pointless, since we can only get you a Working Holiday Visa,” Rin grumbled.

 

“So, when do you want to have me come with you?” Sousuke asked, having thought of this before. He could only spend up to twelve months in Australia before he had to leave again.

 

“I’ll be coming back before the year ends anyways. I need to be there by February for the school year, but I want to get there early so we can both get settled and stuff. We could leave together after the holidays,” Rin smiled.

 

Sousuke kissed his cheek, not looking forward to the months alone, but also anticipating them with a nervous sort of excitement. He wanted to be able to support himself, and if his sweet knight in shining armor was always around, he doubt he’d get the chance to do it. It’d give him some time to think about that terrifying thing called the future.

 

“So when are you going to leave?” Rin hummed, glancing over at his calendar as if it would tell him the months ahead.

 

“They asked if I could come in April for a week, I think it’s during their Easter Break. And then I’d go back in late August, and I’d be there for at least four weeks. But if they really like me I might end up having to stay until mid-November. That’s what the coach said anyways,” he sighed.

 

“So, maybe three months?” Sousuke frowned. It seemed that three months of loneliness was going to be a new trend.

 

“Yeah, but it won’t be that bad. I’ll make sure to set you up with a webcam before I leave, no more waiting for letters,” Rin promised.

 

“Good, you kind of suck at writing them,” Sousuke teased. Rin scowled before pulling himself up out of Sousuke’s grasp and walking over to his desk, ignoring the playful jab. He shifted through some papers before pulling out some.

 

“While I’m there I’m going to be looking for an apartment, they told me that I could stay on campus, but it’d be just as expensive to stay off it. Plus, I can’t exactly bring you with me that way,” he grinned, handing the confused boy papers with different apartment listings and floor plans.

 

“Huh?” Sousuke asked looking dumbfounded at the documents his boyfriend had prepared.

 

“Yeah, so tell me what kind of apartment you want. Obviously these will be gone by the time we move there, but the floor plans and prices are pretty much the same anyways. I was thinking we could probably afford a small two-room since you insist on paying half, but I also looked up one roomed apartments because maybe saving money should come first.”

 

Rin shifted back and forth on his feet, waiting for a reaction. Sousuke just looked through the sheets before smiling at his boyfriend’s attention to detail. He turned to a page with a one room apartment. He was surprised to see that it still had a bath. In fact all the apartments looked big to Sousuke. Maybe everything in Australia was huge, and not just their insects like the TV showed, he didn’t know.

 

“They’re really big,” Sousuke commented aloud and Rin laughed.

 

“Well, compared to apartments in Tokyo I guess,” Sousuke had been keeping his options open by applying to schools in the city. Rin also followed suit, in case Australia didn’t work out, but Sousuke always knew he’d be going back again. He had already decided long ago that even if he didn’t get to follow Rin he was definitely getting as far away from his parents as possible.

 

“I’ll trust whatever you pick,” he decided. Rin looked a bit flustered but brushed it off.

 

“Yeah, you should, since I know you best,” he smirked. Sousuke smiled a soft, adoring smile and Rin cheeks colored. He took the papers back from Sousuke and put them in a folder on his desk.

 

“Rin, I’m going to get a job after graduation, nothing serious,” Sousuke added before the protest could leave his lips. “Just working at the grocery store. Cashier stuff, no heavy lifting or anything like that. Your mom found it for me, actually, and this way I can start saving up money now.”

 

“Mom’s so embarrassing,” Rin grumbled, but a smile still found its way onto his lips. “You’re going to move in too, right? After you talk to your parents?”

 

“Yeah,” Sousuke's mouth turned down into a lax frown.

 

He wasn’t looking forward to the encounter, but he had already decided he wouldn’t be staying with them. Even if things somehow didn’t work out, he still wouldn’t settle for living for two people who only brought him down, even if they were of the same blood. He wanted to live for himself. He may have to depend on others, something strictly against the Yamazaki way, but he knew that the ones he loved wouldn’t judge him for it. The Matsuoka’s had eagerly accepted Sousuke in every way since the beginning, and were more than happy to share all they had. He promised himself he’d repay them by not falling into the same trap his mother did.

 

“It’ll be kind of annoying that they’re going to get to see you more than I do when I’m gone,” Rin frowned.

 

“Only for a little,” he reminded him, and Rin jumped onto the bed at that, sighing as he hit the mattress. Sousuke wiggled away so there was enough room for them both.

 

“Hey, I think we really will get a one room first. Then when we can, we’ll get a two room so we can have guests,” he sighed, curling into his pillow. Even though Sousuke and Rin had switched their sleeping arrangements, that quickly changed after he was healed enough for it to be safe for them both to sleep on the same bed. Rin had returned as a permanent resident of the lower bunk ever since.

 

“That sounds nice,” Sousuke grinned, imagining the crazy things his boyfriend had thought up for them both. No doubt he was already planning the interior designs of their would-be home.

 

He settled down on the bed and closed his eyes. They moved so their backs were flush against each other. Rin didn’t like sleeping on the inside and Sousuke’s shoulder prevented him from turning to face him. In fact, Rin was almost always the big spoon because of this and Sousuke found himself enjoying it more often than not. It was a bit frustrating that he couldn’t kiss the other boy like that, but he conceded after Rin's insistence that it worked best.

 

“Sousuke?” The tall boy felt his heart melt at the soft sound of his name.

 

“Yes, Rin?”

 

“I,” he started, before silence took the room again. “We have to get up in an hour for dinner, so don’t fall asleep.”

 

“Okay,” he chuckled, hearing the unspoken I love you.

 

He brushed his leg against the other in his own silent expression of the words. Rin’s slim calves came alive, slipping around to capture his legs, hooking at the ankles and pulling them closer. Sousuke discreetly pulled out his phone to take a picture of the two of them. He pulled it up so he could only see Rin’s form peeking out behind him, and Sousuke almost laughed at the fact that the image recorded the bright flush on Rin’s shoulders and face. He snuck the phone back just as quick in order to not alert the other that he had been photographed.

 

A few silent minutes followed before Rin knocked their elbows together as he turned around. Sousuke laughed when Rin tossed carless limbs over him and grumbled about having too tall of a boyfriend. They laced fingers and the smaller boy placed gentle kisses on Sousuke’s neck and shoulder. Sousuke started up a useless conversation about movies that were coming out soon, and possible dates to be had, and Rin switched to English half way in. Exasperation colored Sousuke’s voice before he followed example.

 

He wouldn’t say it out loud, because there were just some things you didn’t point out to people who got as embarrassed as Rin, but he loved how hard Rin was working to try and teach him English. He knew that every minute spent on that language Sousuke had such a hard time grasping was another minute of Rin telling him he loved him, that he wanted him to stay by his side. Sousuke tried his best to learn the language and practice without complaining to show Rin that he loved him too and wanted to stay by his side just as much. It’s not known as a pretty or romantic language, but in Sousuke’s ears, as long as Rin was the one speaking it, any language could sound beautiful.


	3. Home Gyms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sousuke and Rin work out at the local gym and Rin starts making plans for their future home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shortest piece I've written yet, but no less fun! I hope everyone enjoys!

“What do you think about having a weight room?”

 

Sousuke put down the dumbbell he was holding with care. It had already been nine months since his surgery, but he was still taking it easy exercising his shoulder. Nothing more than he felt he could, and at the slightest sign of unusual strain he’d stop. Rin had been careful about it too, which was often why they would go to the local gym together when Sousuke was off from work, much like that day.

 

“Huh?” he asked, peering over at the upside down Rin. His boyfriend had just finished his inverted crunches.

 

“When we have our own house, don’t you think it’d be easier to have a weight room than go to the gym all the time?” Rin asked, before pulling himself up again. Sousuke took a few short steps over to his boyfriend.

 

“I guess that doesn’t sound so bad,” Sousuke reasoned.

 

He kept his arms out just in case his boyfriend had trouble getting out of the contraption he was strapped to. He had no reason to worry, but it was more of a natural reaction than a conscious one. Rin released himself with ease before returning to the upright world.

 

“Does that mean we’d have to get one of these?” He eyed the device warily. Sousuke wasn’t a big fan of being upside down even when he was in complete control. Rin beamed at him as he grabbed their water bottles and phones off the floor.

 

“Nah, I don’t really like using it all the time anyways. It’s just fun to switch it up sometimes.”

 

They walked over to a bench reserved for resting, clear of all people. Few were out as it was a regular weekday. Only a pair of older women had been there earlier, leaving shortly after they arrived. Both school and work kept morning-afternoon regulars at bay. The nights and early mornings were always swamped though. Sousuke wasn’t looking forward to the summer break, which without a doubt would bring in people looking to exercise away from the heat of the sun.

 

“So what’s this dream weight room of yours look like anyways?” Sousuke smiled, knocking knees with his friend.

 

Rin took another swig of his water before wiping his mouth, a smirk breaking out. Rin bumped shoulders with him. They weren’t ones for crazy amounts of PDA, but their original signs of affection never left, even after their relationship developed further. What self-consciousness they thought they may have felt simply never came.

 

“Well we’d need a weight bench for sure, maybe a multi-purpose one. And I wouldn’t mind a home gym like those,” Rin said motioning over at one of the machines in the corner of the gym. Sousuke was barely surprised at the complexity of it, why would he think Rin would want anything less than the wildest equipment there was?

 

“I hope you’re planning on becoming some kind of rich,” Rin scoffed at this, and Sousuke chuckled. “I’d be happy with a couple of barbells to go with that multi-purpose bench of yours, though.”

 

“Of course you’d go for something simple, don’t you have any imagination?” Rin joked. He laughed some more at his boyfriend before looking out at the sea of machines.

 

“If we’re living in Australia for the rest of our lives, than I guess we’ll need a treadmill. I prefer walking outside, but I’ve heard from a reliable source,” Sousuke chuckled when said reliable source snorted in response. “Australian summers are pretty brutal, so walking in air conditioning is about as good as it can get.”

 

“So we’ll definitely need a treadmill.” Rin grinned, leaning forward onto his hands. Sousuke returned the gesture with a grin of his own, enjoying seeing the childlike enthusiasm radiating off of Rin’s very un-childlike body.

 

“I actually was thinking we should invest in an elliptical too. Or maybe even a stairmaster, it sucked not having one at Samezuka.”

 

Sousuke blinked three times before busting out into a deep laugh.

 

“Of course you want to get something that crazy, why would I expect anything else?” Rin bristled.

 

“It’s not crazy! Why are you so boring anyways, treadmills and barbells, can’t you think of anything more interesting?” he grumbled, crossing his arms in a defensive manner that was very Rin. Sousuke calmed down, wiping a stray tear before leaning into his sulking boyfriend.

 

“I’d be happy with that, maybe a pull up bar too. I don’t need anything too extravagant to be happy. As long as you’re happy then I’m happy.”

 

Sousuke let a mischievous smile slip as Rin relaxed into him, words working like salve against the boy. Rin couldn’t stay mad at Sousuke for long and it was something he was very disappointed to have only just discovered recently. He vowed he’d only use his new found power for good, though he couldn’t help but to tease at times.

 

“So a home gym it is, you want me to be happy, don’t you?” Rin let out his own devious grin, taking a glance around the room to find it empty save for the lone employee who was flipping through a magazine idly. He snuck a quick kiss in before standing back up. Sousuke felt that one kiss warm up his whole body faster than any one exercise could.

 

“Yeah,” he breathed out in a daze. “I do.”

 

Rin gave him a smile before sauntering over to the bench press.

 

“Good, now come spot me you big dork.”


	4. Pets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Sousuke meet up with Ai for lunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was also a lot of fun to write and I hope everyone enjoys it! I wanted to finish another chapter since the last one was so short.
> 
> I keep making Rin a terrible tease, but honestly it's only because he's so comfortable with Ai, he couldn't be a tease in front of anyone else. Also I can't see Ai getting over using honorifics easily, but he tries, he really does.

“Rin-sempai! Yamazaki-Sempai!”

 

Nitori Aiichiro was standing at their meeting place, waving one hand in the air frantically, the other holding his bag's strap in a tight grip. Rin had seen the boy long before he had caught sight of them but didn’t want to make a spectacle of himself by calling out to him when they were still so far away. He hadn’t seen Nitori since graduation so it was no surprise that the other was excited, and Rin felt just a tad bit guilty seeing that excitement in person.

 

It wasn’t like Rin was particularly busier than he ever was. Sure he had left the country for a week, and he had been going to the local swim club and gym more than before to follow his new coaches’ suggested training regime. Not to mention he was teaching Sousuke English in between studying regularly to make sure there wouldn’t be a gap when he entered college, but he could have made time.

 

“Stop that, you’re going to worry him,” Sousuke muttered beside him. He smacked the back of his hand against Rin’s forehead. “You know, you’re going to get wrinkles if you keep thinking too much.”

 

“I’m not thinking too much, and I’m not getting wrinkles,” Rin grumbled, pushing his boyfriend. Sousuke said nothing as their small friend came bouncing up to them.

 

“Rin-sempai! Yamazaki-sempai! It’s so good to see you both!” He smiled at them in cheery delight. Rin calmed under his friend’s gaze.

 

“It’s good to see you too, Ai.”

 

“You look taller,” Sousuke commented with a grin. Rin shoved his boyfriend again, both knowing it wasn’t true, but he said nothing because Ai was already beaming at Sousuke like he was his savior.

 

“It would be good if that was true! It’d make being captain easier anyways,” Ai sighed. “I really don’t know how you did it Rin-sempai.”

 

“Ai, how many times have I told you to stop calling me that?” Rin forced a frown, making a show of being mad. Ai startled before stuttering, a bright flush on his cheeks.

 

“Ah! Sorry Rin-san, Rin-kun! It’s just an old habit,” Ai said with a smile, though it wavered in his nervousness. Rin sighed, letting his continued use of honorifics slide.

 

“Yeah, yeah, so are we going to go eat, or what?” He smiled as the boy jumped again. He turned towards the restaurant they had decided to meet at.

 

“Of course!”

 

The bouncing ball of nervous energy led them into the family restaurant. Sousuke traveled behind the two, watching how at ease Rin felt with Ai. He knew it wasn’t only Ai who needed this, Rin needed to remember he had friends too. That he couldn’t just continuously push himself.

 

“Yamazaki, I mean, Sousuke-sempai?” Ai ventured.

 

Sousuke glanced over at him, having gotten a little lost in his own musings. Rin was already shuffling into the booth, sitting closest to the window. The smaller boy gestured to the seat and he offered the boy a smile, sliding in next to Rin. Ai settled down after that and sat himself across from them. The attentive boy had noticed Sousuke’s daze, though he likely confused the reason for it.

 

Their lunch went on peacefully. Ai relayed to them some of the crazy happenings at Samezuka, and inquired about Rin’s future and Sousuke’s shoulder in roundabout ways. Sousuke surprised him by being upfront about the status of his injury, and his uncertain future.

 

Rin assured them both that nothing was uncertain about Sousuke’s future, and even told Ai that Sousuke would be going abroad with him. Ai commented on how close they were, and how wonderful it must be to have a childhood friend, neither bothered to correct him. Sousuke wouldn’t mind, but Rin was still very cautious when it came to who to tell about their status as boyfriends. He was set on furthering them, not hindering them, he had once said.

 

Sousuke allowed himself to be pulled along by the conversation as it carried on between the more talkative members of their small group. He enjoyed watching the two boys react to things they had said. He was glad that Ai had been there for Rin when Sousuke couldn’t. He was a good friend, though Rin said he was terrible to have as a roommate.

 

“Cats? But Rin-kun, you seem like such a dog person!” Ai exclaimed, disappointed in having been wrong. Rin chuckled a bit, discreetly hooking ankles with Sousuke under the table. He stole a few fries from his best friend’s plate, gobbling them down easily.

 

“I do like dogs, but they’re really high maintenance and it’s not like I could spend a lot of time looking after them. I didn’t like cats too much at first either, but that was before I met Haru and Makoto, they’re cat-fiends,” he laughed.

 

“Tachibana-san and Nanase-san like cats?” Ai asked.

 

“Love them,” he snorted. “Like I said, cat-fiends. They kind of grew on me after that.”

 

“So that’s why you want a cat instead Rin-kun? Because they’re not as much work?” Ai took a dainty bite out of his sandwich. Sousuke knew the kid could wolf it down as well as anybody, but he always tried to put on his best for Rin. He found it awfully endearing.

 

“That too, but they are work. They sulk if you ignore them for too long, and they’ll scratch up your furniture if you forget to clip their nails or they’re bored.” Rin’s smile didn’t falter as he continued on about all the negative points of having a cat.

 

Sousuke couldn’t follow the conversation well. He was more focused on the distracting touch of Rin’s thigh against his, and the drag of his foot along his calf. He knew that Rin wasn’t ready to let Ai know about them, but the amount of times he pulled stunts like this had him questioning if it all wasn’t an elaborate ruse.

 

“Then what’s good about them?” Ai questioned, confused by Rin’s professed adoration of cats. Ai confessed to being more of a dog person himself.

 

“They’re really cute all the time, no matter when, even when they’re being little shits. All they do is laze around all day and go crazy at night, and if they want something they’ll beg in the most adorable ways they can come up with. They’re also really warm and soft, and purr when they’re happy.”

 

Rin’s smile grew as he spoke about them, and so did his confidence. Rin had fully placed his leg on top of Sousuke’s after a slow and thorough rubdown, and Sousuke was more than just a little quite. He had the sinking suspicion that Rin wasn’t talking about cats anymore.

 

“Well, I suppose so. Does that mean you’ll have cats when you’re older?”

 

“I’d like to. Wouldn’t you like to have kittens, Sousuke?” Rin smirked, eating more of his French fries. Sousuke hadn’t touched his plate since Rin had started his games.

 

“I’m not much of an animal person, cats or dogs,” Sousuke said with a frown, watching Rin carefully. Nothing in his demeanor changed. He took the words for face value and responded as such, but he was still suspicious of his mischievous boyfriend.

 

“That’s also surprising,” Ai observed. “I thought Sousuke-sempai would be a dog person.”

 

Rin laughed, leg slipping back into his own personal space, though his foot snuck around to hook ankles with Sousuke’s again.

 

“Ai, I think you think everyone’s a dog person.”

 

“But dogs are just too cute sempai!” Ai protested. “How could anyone not like dogs?”

 

Sousuke thought of the drooling, dribbling, slobbering beasts. He liked dogs in pictures, and dogs afar, but they were so messy and so needy. It didn’t help that he had been bitten by a dog in his neighborhood as a child. If he had to choose, having cats would at least be a step up.

 

“I think I’d rather have cats,” Sousuke remarked. Rin grinned, brushing shoulders with Sousuke.

 

“See? We definitely have to have two or three.”

 

The smile on Rin’s face told him the truth behind what he had said. He was serious, and Sousuke wasn’t sure he’d be able to deny the boy ten hundred cats if he looked that happy just thinking about having three. He slouched against the booth in exasperation. Yes, cats were most definitely in their future. He felt a smile tug at his lips and tried to force it down. He attempted to steer his attention back to the two chatting in front of him, but all he could think about was Rin’s crazy ideas. Rin’s visions of them in their future home, playing with a couple of cats no doubt.

 


	5. Wedding Rings and Engagement Rings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Matsuokas are all home for dinner, and Sousuke finds himself being dragged into some interesting conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is pretty much not at all how I imagined writing this, but this is how it came out lol. I'll probably write about the more fun things at a later time. 
> 
> Please let me know if you find any crazy bad grammar or spelling errors! I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do. Thank you for reading!

Sousuke had adjusted to living with the Matsuokas easier than he had anticipated. If he had learned anything from staying at dorms and living with friends and strangers, it was that you couldn’t really know how things would go when you lived with someone. People you got along with can turn into enemies, and people you hated can turn into friends. In all honesty, he was a bit apprehensive about moving in with the Matsuokas after graduation.

 

His worries disappeared after the first month. There was nothing strange or awkward about living with the Matsuokas, and their little quirks he had already known of. He didn’t even bat an eyelash at Mrs. Matsuoka’s management of the house, though it was shocking seeing how unorganized it was. Rin was more bothered by it, but there could be nothing done about it since his mother was still single and working full time. Between her inheritance and her job she had a good amount of money, but none of it could be wasted on something as luxurious as a housekeep, or even a monthly maid. Not when she had two kids to put through school, and one going abroad frequently.

 

In the beginning it had been Mr. Matsuoka who had been doing most of the chores and cooking in between his irregular job as a fisher. When he was gone for long periods of time they’d simply do without. Mrs. Matsuoka had always been the bread winner, but he had felt he had needed a job as well. It was probably his father who gave Rin the desire to do everything by himself. Rin had picked up his father’s Olympic dreams and made them his own, but it was likely that wasn’t the only thing he had picked up, even if he couldn’t really remember the man. Still in more ways than one Rin was his mother’s son.

 

Rin would have picked up all of the house chores if he wasn’t already busy enough with his future, so Sousuke found himself falling into a very domestic life style. It wasn’t like he was good at cooking, but he was decent. Gou had picked up a bit of the chores once Rin had left, but making meals was out of her league. Sousuke saw the small girl using the extra-large protein powder jar on some curry once and vowed never to eat something the youngest Matsuoka had touched again.

 

After that encounter he picked up making dinner for the Matsuokas, and was surprised to find it rewarding in more ways than one. Of course he enjoyed the compliments, but the focus on making dishes he thought would taste good gave him back a bit of that competitive zeal. Competing against himself by forcing himself out of his comfort zone.

 

Getting a job at the local grocery store was well out of his comfort zone, but not in the same way. It felt very much what it was, work. He didn’t appreciate having to force a smile, but the matriarch of the family had found this job for him. He would rather listen to a thousand nagging customers than recant her kindness. His hours were set each week but more or less irregular. He liked having his schedule full when Rin was busy, though he did enjoy having nightshifts as well. Granted he did get quite a few interesting characters walking in during the late hours, he rarely had to keep up his happy façade, and it gave him an excuse to sleep in the next day.

 

Today he was lucky, a coworker had asked to switch hours with him because they’d be busy over the weekend and Sousuke had readily agreed. That weekend Rin would be away anyways, so wasting one of the days that both he and his mom would be home during dinner hours was definitely not an option. The Matsuokas rarely had their schedules aligned with each other’s.

 

“I always knew you’d go for someone like your father,” Mrs. Matsuoka remarked.

 

His new mother, in name only, laughed as Sousuke nearly dropped the spoon he was holding. Rin was a sputtering mess and Gou joined their mother in joyous laughter, plopping down next to her at the table. The dining room had long since turned into an office room, with papers and boxes always sprawled out over the long wooden table. The kitchen had turned into their designated dining area and all three Matsuoka’s enjoyed watching the tall boy cook while they waited.

 

“Even though Dad wasn’t around for long, seeing Sousuke cook definitely reminds me of him. Although he’s probably quite a bit taller than Dad ever was,” Gou added. Rin was a bright red beacon.

 

“You’re right. He is taller, but I can still see the resemblance,” the woman laughed.

 

“He’s nothing like Dad! Why don’t you help him or something instead of saying stupid things? Isn’t cooking your specialty?” Rin shouted, trying to get the conversation to change directions. His mother just laughed more before standing up.

 

“You’re right. I haven’t cooked in so long. Whenever I’m home I just let Sousuke take care of it,” his mother chuckled, laughter subsiding. Cooking was her hobby, but she rarely got a chance to make anything. She slipped her rings off carefully, placing them on the table.

 

“You don’t have to do anything,” Sousuke reassured. Mrs. Matsuoka bumped him out of the way with her hip, taking over. She tilted her head towards him, a sign that she wanted him to stay. Another trait Rin had gained from his mother, the endless physical gestures of affection.

 

“It’ll be nice cooking with my future son-in-law,” she joked, a playful smile on her aged face. The same childlike features that he would see on Rin’s were there in a familiar fashion. Sousuke smiled at her before starting to work on the side dishes.

 

Behind them Gou and Rin talked about her new life as a third year and her plans for college. Dinner preparations went on easily with the conversations and helping hands. He felt happier than when he was just cooking by himself, and it was curious really. Sousuke almost always preferred solitary activities, but maybe team play was enjoyable in the other forms it came in, and not just the relay Rin was always so focused on. Rin stood up to help them carry the dishes over to the table, noticing that they had finished. Mrs. Matsuoka busied herself with washing her hands and Sousuke carried over the hotter plates.

 

“I’m glad Sousuke is here,” Gou thought aloud. “It feels full again.”

 

Sousuke and Rin who were about to sit down froze. Mrs. Matsuoka’s smile was soft, thoughtful. They all sat down at the table, Rin at her left and Gou at her right. She looked at her children, all three of them, before slipping her rings back on her finger with care.

 

“You’re right. It does feel full again, doesn’t it?” Gou nodded in affirmation. Rin let out a small grin, lightly kicking Sousuke under the table.

 

“Thank you,” Sousuke said, feeling awkward and grateful. The wise Matsuoka just gave him a knowing look, understanding what the boy was trying to say.

 

“Well, let’s pray and eat before the dinner gets cold,” she chuckled. They all grabbed hands and Mrs. Matsuoka let out a prayer. At the beginning they had told him that he didn’t need to join in, but Sousuke felt nothing of it. If it made the woman who was a better maternal figure to him than his own birth mother happy then he’d do it.

 

Dinner was as delicious as could be expected with the two best cooks in the house having worked together. Light conversations carried on throughout dinner, but the strange atmosphere from earlier did not disperse. Gou was smiling more than usual, and Rin found himself gazing at Sousuke more often than normal. It wasn’t like Sousuke replaced their father, and it wasn’t like they had hoped for that. Their father was more memory impressions than actual memories. Anything else they knew about him came from their mother. It was just that sitting down for family meals, something they hadn’t done in a long time, and having someone as wonderful as him joining them struck a chord.

 

When dinner was finished Sousuke was the first up, taking dishes to the sink and clearing the table. Rin followed suit, always one to help when it came to cleaning up. Gou gave her mother a kiss and bid them a fond farewell before grabbing her overnight pack and heading towards the door, slipping on her shoes.

 

Both Sousuke and Rin simultaneously asked if she would like them to walk her to her friend’s, but she declined. She complained about how ridiculous the two were, and that her friend’s house was only just down the block. She promised them texts once she arrived before heading out. Gou would have left earlier to avoid their fussing all together if it wasn’t for the fact that both Rin and her mom had been home for dinner.

 

“What good big brothers Gou has,” giggled the older woman. Sousuke turned back to the dishes and Rin frowned at his mother. She just laughed some more, fingers spinning her wedding ring. Her oldest son dried the dishes he was handed, glancing back at her with a contemplative look in his eyes before he turned to Sousuke.

 

“You know, I’d like to have an engagement ring too. So I could wear it with my wedding ring, like Mom,” he said, watching Sousuke for his reaction.

 

The plate that Sousuke was holding slipped out of his large hands and dropped into the sink with a loud clang. His eyes were wide and trained on the sink. A deep blush was spreading up from his neck. Rin felt like the shocked expression wasn’t a negative response, it simply was what it looked like, shock. Rin’s mother had also stopped twisting her ring stunned by her son’s confession.

 

“What?” Sousuke finally responded, forcing his voice out. It was a quiet, rough sound. He finally turned to his best friend and lover and found that Rin was dead serious. His blush was bright but his heart started to calm down. Rin wasn’t doing it to get a rise out of him, wasn’t telling him a joke. He was sincere, just as he always was when it came to their future.

 

Mrs. Matsuoka watched the scene but said nothing from her vantage point at the table, wondering exactly how it would play out. She grinned a little at her own son’s growing embarrassment. Just like his father, embarrassed by little things but would spout romantic nonsense without a thought before realizing what he had done and being flustered by it.

 

“Never mind,” Rin mumbled, averting his eyes and continuing to dry and put away dishes. Sousuke was frozen in place, watching the other grow a bright red to match his own.

 

“I,” Sousuke started. He stopped and took in a deep breath, a tiny smile falling into place. “I think that’s a nice idea.”

 

“I said never mind,” he grumbled, ashamed by his own words. Mrs. Matsuoka stood up and left the room, feeling it was time to make her leave. Sousuke dried off his hands and grabbed Rin’s, stilling them from their work.

 

“Rin, that’s a great idea, I was just surprised. I didn’t even know you wanted to get married,” he joked. Rin gave him a look that told Sousuke he was being stupid.

 

“You know life partnership is great and all, but I’d rather see you a Matsuoka.” He grinned as Sousuke ducked his head, made shy by his sweet words. He truly was a romantic.

 

“So where’d this come from, anyways?” Sousuke asked, leaning back against the counter. Rin played with Sousuke’s hands, twining and untwining their fingers.

 

“Well it’s just that Mom’s always wearing her wedding ring and her engagement ring. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her without them. I just, I don’t know, I thought it would be nice. Especially since we can’t get married right away no matter how you look at it,” Rin sighed, leaning against the taller boy. Sousuke hummed, hands still wrapped up in Rin’s.

 

“You know, we aren’t even legal adults,” Sousuke reminded him. “How early are you planning on getting married?”

 

“Twenty-two’s a good age,” Rin pouted. Sousuke smile grew. He found that he thought it was indeed a good age to get married, if you’ve known a person for as long as they knew each other.

 

“So I have four years?” He teased.

 

“Well rings aren’t cheap. You know, Dad could only buy Mom an engagement ring at first because he couldn’t afford a real wedding ring. It took him years to save up for it, since it all happened kind of fast after they had me. Mom only had the wedding ring for a year before Dad passed, but even then she never took her engagement ring off.”

 

“Your mother’s kind of amazing, you know that?” Sousuke grinned when Rin laughed into his shoulder.

 

“Yeah, you might have said something like that before.”

 

“Well it’s true, raising you both by herself. Most would just remarry after that, but I’ve never seen her take off those rings either. And she always introduces herself as Mrs. Matsuoka,” Sousuke point out.

 

“Yeah, honestly I thought mom was going to forget about Dad for a while, pretty stupid right? I’m the one who can’t remember him.” He let out a self-deprecating laugh. Sousuke frowned and placed a kiss against Rin’s hair. “Now I wonder if I was just holding her back, I’m sure Dad wouldn’t want her hung up on him either. She should be out dating or remarried.”

 

“I think,” Sousuke started, interrupting Rin’s depressing train of thought. “I think that she isn’t so much hung up on your father as she is focused on raising you and Gou. She’s strong, and she loves you both very much. She loved your father too, and that’s probably why she’s so concentrated on making sure you two grow up right. If you want to put her at ease, instead of trying to get her to go on dates I think you should worry about your own happiness first. Seeing you and Gou happy and living well will make her far happier than any man could.”

 

Rin pulled back and looked at Sousuke with tears in his eyes. He gave the taller boy a shaky smile before leaning up and kissing him. Sousuke frowned feeling Rin’s tears finally spilling over. He didn’t want to upset the other; he had been trying to be encouraging.

 

“Thanks Sousuke,” he sighed. He needed someone to reel him in when he let his mind go down darker paths, and Sousuke was always there to do it for him. Rin let his head fall back on Sousuke’s shoulder, freeing his hands and wrapping his arms around the other. Sousuke returned the motion, giving him a tight squeeze, listening to the buzz of the refrigerator and the sound of the television down the hallway.

 

“So are you the only one getting an engagement ring, or?” Sousuke asked, breaking the silence after a minute or two. Rin let out a choked laugh, still recovering from his teary state.

 

“Of course. If I don’t, who knows how many people would be trying to steal you away,” he teased. Sousuke grinned and gave the boy another squeeze.

 

“I think I’m more worried about you. I’m not the one who’s going to be all over sports magazines as the ‘Hottest Swimmer of the Year.’”

 

Rin let out a loud laugh at that, shaking with the force of it. Sousuke’s grin was so wide it hurt.


	6. Kids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin and Sousuke have a conversation Sousuke isn't quite ready to have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it! The last one-shot to this collection. I actually got super excited about writing the next installment in the series which is why this all came out really fast, whoops. 
> 
> I hope I was able to get across Sousuke well in this one. This is another one that I wrote with something completely different in mind at first. I'm almost sorry to leave this collection on this note. I hope I didn't make Rin sound pushy either, because he really isn't. It was a difficult piece to write, but I liked the overall outcome. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope everyone was able to find some enjoyment in reading these short snip-its of Sousuke and Rin's life before college. I certainly enjoyed writing them :)

Rin deposited himself on his couch with a graceful flop. Sousuke watched him from the doorway with curious eyes. He pulled off his jacket and fixed their shoes. It was rare that Rin hadn’t taken the extra time to put everything in its place before throwing himself onto the sofa of their living room.

 

They had just returned from a long day at the Iwatobi Swim Club with Rin’s friends. More than one Tachibana had shown up, despite it being their first reunion since graduation. The two pint-sized additions added a great deal of energy to the group, and it seemed to have drained Rin all the quicker.

 

“Mom’s not coming home for dinner,” Sousuke called over to him, reading the post-it note on the fridge. He grabbed a can of soda before plopping down on the floor next to his dead boyfriend.

 

“Mm,” he mumbled. He turned on his side and opened his eyes to stare at Sousuke.

 

“Don’t forget you have to text Tachibana and Nanase about the Christmas Party,” he teased, poking the sleepy boy. Rin squirmed, but said nothing. His brow scrunched up and he frowned at Sousuke in his thoughtful way. He was thinking about something important.

 

“Do you like kids?” he finally asked. Sousuke’s eyebrows drew up at the question.

 

“I guess, why?” Sousuke thought back to the day’s events. Had he been cold towards the Tachibana twins? Did he accidentally come off as rude?

 

“Because I’ve never really heard you talk about them,” Rin declared, folding his arm under his head. “Ever. Like I remember being five and already talking about how I wanted to be a dad.”

 

Sousuke stiffened. He turned away from his boyfriend, staring at the black screen of the TV. He had never thought of being a father as boy, in fact he remembered clearly thinking that if he was going to end up like his parents he’d rather never have kids at all. Rin wasn’t like Sousuke though. He had a good, albeit unusual, home life and he loved taking care of others. Sousuke did not doubt that Rin would make a great father.

 

“I’ve never really thought about it,” he admitted. He clutched his arm out of habit, feeling cold with sudden thoughts of being left behind. His musings took a turn for the worse, becoming visions of Rin’s perfect future being ruined by him. He watched Rin’s dark reflection on the television and felt him move. His long-haired beauty of a boyfriend sat up behind him, gently carding through his hair. Sousuke released a long breath out of his nose, leaning back into the touch.

 

“You looked really good taking care of the twins,” Rin commented, voice soft. He dug his fingers into Sousuke’s scalp, working his way down to massage Sousuke’s tense neck.

 

“I’m just glad I didn’t scare them.” Sousuke frowned, breathing in and out with a steady pace. His neck and shoulders were quick to ache when he was anxious about something. Rin palmed the base of his neck, pushing into the pain in a soothing manner.

 

“You know, in Australia gay couples can legally adopt,” he supplied. Sousuke felt his boyfriend’s fingers cooling, a sign of his own anxiousness. He let out a deep sigh.

 

“Rin,” Sousuke started.

 

“I mean I don’t know if I would ever want to be a father to more than two, but having one would be nice, you know? I’d be okay with any gender, but having a little girl like Gou would be nice. Raising someone like her would be easy,” Rin laughed awkwardly, words coming out in a rush, another sign that he was nervous about Sousuke’s response.

 

“Rin,” he tried again.

 

“Of course it’d be nicer if they were like you, but you know, without all that self-sacrificial bullshit you tried to pull.” He laughed more, a little more genuine, but the force and quickness in his voice was still present. Sousuke caught his eyes in the reflection. Rin stilled and his smile fell.

 

“Rin, I really don’t know. I haven’t thought about it, and raising kids is,” his voice faded, a grimace on his face, thinking about his own parents. Rin’s hands came up to cover his eyes from seeing him.

 

“You won’t be like them,” he assured. Sousuke’s frown deepened.

 

“I don’t know if I’ll ever want kids Rin, I really don’t. And we’re still kids ourselves, why do we even have to think about this right now? I know you have everything planned out already, but Rin you don’t know if it’ll all happen,” he paused. Rin’s hands had loosely covered his mouth. Too loose to prevent him from speaking, but succeeding in doing so nonetheless.

 

“Sorry, you’re right. We don’t have to think about it now. It’s just that seeing the twins reminded me. I won’t force you to be a parent, though I do think you’d be a great one,” he added. “It’s not like you’ve never wanted kids, like Gou, you just haven’t thought about it, right? So I won’t push you into a choice. You already agree to so much, if you find out you’re serious about not wanting kids than I’ll be okay with it. I just wanted to know what you thought.”

 

“Rin,” Sousuke breathed out, sounding suspiciously like a whimper. He looked up at the boy behind him, eyes full of guilt. His boyfriend just smile back down at him.

 

“Stop that, I’m serious. I just wanted to know you’re stance on the subject now, but like you said, we’re still kids. You have plenty of time to think about it, and no matter what you choose I’ll still be here with you,” he reminded him with a stern look. He lifted his fingers off of Sousuke’s mouth, sliding them up the sides of his face. He bent down and kissed him softly. Sousuke’s own hand slid up to grab the back of his neck, pulling him closer. When they parted Rin placed another kiss on his forehead.

 

“I’ll think about it,” Sousuke declared. He turned around to face him and Rin reached out for him, pulling each other closer.

 

“You don’t have to think about it right now, you’re right, we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future. We may not even live in Australia, who knows?” Rin pulled back to get a good look at Sousuke. Rin’s heart ached at the sight of the depressed boy.

 

“Promise me you won’t just agree to make me happy Sousuke. Not now, not ever. I know I told you to just follow me, but I didn’t mean it like that. I want to know what you want too. Relationships are two-way streets. If you’re the only one doing the sacrificing it’ll only hurt us. I want you to always be honest about what really you want,” he whispered, voice strained. Sousuke hugged him tighter.

 

“I promise,” Sousuke said, sure of those words. Rin relaxed into them, feeling assured by them as well.

 

“I love you,” Sousuke added, kissing Rin’s cheek. Rin chuckled, clutching at the back of Sousuke’s shirt. He felt stupid bringing up something so heavy when they could have just been enjoying each other. The future was still a long way off.

 

“I love you too.”


End file.
